The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Consumers increasingly desire access to various types of content, including music, videos, games, and the like. To meet these needs, content providers are increasingly investigating ways to provide content in a timely manner to consumers.
Satellite distribution systems are one way in which to provide content to various consumers. Pay-per-view and regular broadcasts are available in a satellite system. In a pay-per-view system, access is provided to users for a particular program that is watched by more than one user at the same time. Recording devices in the user devices may be used to store the content for later playback.
In certain situations, a user may desire access to content not available during a regular broadcast. Providing the user with a program on an individual basis, consumes valuable satellite resources. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide other means for distributing content when needed to various customers. Providing content and various services to users is important for service providers. Securely allowing user devices to access content or perform tasks is performed using a conditional access packet. The service provider includes a conditional access system that is used to provide security. There may be many processes that require conditional access. Typically, the conditional access system provides a one-to-one interface with a process requiring conditional access. Various processes may be busier than others and thus resources may not be used in an efficient manner. For example, some processes may be over-committed and thus may have to wait while others may be idle.